Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
CO2 or Carbon Dioxide is a colorless and odorless gas produced by burning carbon-based materials and respiration. It is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis.
The process used by plants, algae, and certain bacteria to harness energy from sunlight into chemical energy.
Carbon Cycle: The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration.
Greenhouse Gas: A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation. Carbon dioxide is one example.